Windsurf vs Cursor vs Cline vs GitHub Copilot: Comparison (2026)

Windsurf vs Cursor vs Cline vs GitHub Copilot: Complete Comparison (2026)

The AI coding assistant landscape has exploded in 2026. Developers now have multiple mature options, each with different strengths, pricing models, and workflows. Choosing the right one can significantly impact your productivity.

This comparison covers the four most popular AI coding tools: Windsurf, Cursor, Cline, and GitHub Copilot. We will compare them across features, pricing, model support, and real-world usability so you can pick the best fit for your workflow.

Quick Comparison Table

Feature	Windsurf	Cursor	Cline	GitHub Copilot
Type	IDE (VS Code fork)	IDE (VS Code fork)	VS Code extension	Multi-IDE extension
Base editor	VS Code fork	VS Code fork	VS Code	VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim
Agentic mode	Yes (Cascade)	Yes (Agent)	Yes (default)	Yes (Copilot Chat agent)
Inline autocomplete	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Multi-file editing	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes (with Workspace)
Terminal integration	Yes	Yes	Yes (via tool)	Yes
Browser use	No	No	Yes	No
MCP support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Limited
Custom models	Limited	Yes	Yes	No
Open source	No	No	Yes (Apache 2.0)	No
Free tier	Yes	Yes	Yes (bring API key)	Yes (limited)
Starting price	$15/mo	$20/mo	Free (API costs)	$10/mo

Windsurf

Windsurf (formerly Codeium) is a VS Code fork that emphasizes smooth, flow-state coding. Its flagship feature is Cascade, an agentic system that can plan and execute multi-step coding tasks.

Strengths

• Cascade flows: Multi-step agentic workflows that handle complex tasks across files
• Fast autocomplete: Supercomplete engine trained specifically for code completion
• Clean UX: Minimal friction, well-integrated into the editor experience
• Generous free tier: Reasonable number of free completions and Cascade actions per month

Weaknesses

• Limited model selection compared to Cursor
• Smaller extension ecosystem than VS Code proper
• No browser integration for testing or documentation reading
• Newer product with a smaller community

Best For

Developers who want a polished, out-of-the-box experience with strong agentic capabilities and do not need extensive model customization.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Includes
Free	$0/mo	Limited completions and Cascade actions
Pro	$15/mo	Unlimited completions, increased Cascade usage
Enterprise	Custom	Team features, SSO, admin controls

Cursor

Cursor is the most popular AI-first code editor, known for its deep model integration and powerful agent mode. It is a VS Code fork with AI baked into every interaction.

Strengths

• Model flexibility: Use Claude, GPT-5, Gemini, and custom models
• Composer agent: Powerful multi-file agent that can plan, code, and run tests
• Tab completion: Context-aware autocomplete that predicts multi-line edits
• Large community: Extensive documentation, tutorials, and community support
• Rules system: Define project-specific rules via .cursorrules files

Weaknesses

• Expensive at $20/mo for Pro
• Premium model requests are limited and can run out quickly
• Closed source with no self-hosting option
• Can feel sluggish on large codebases

Best For

Professional developers who want the widest model selection and most mature agentic coding features, and are willing to pay for it.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Includes
Free	$0/mo	2,000 completions, 50 slow premium requests
Pro	$20/mo	Unlimited completions, 500 fast premium requests
Business	$40/mo/seat	Team features, admin, centralized billing

Cline

Cline is an open-source VS Code extension that connects to any LLM provider and operates as a fully autonomous coding agent. Unlike the IDE forks, Cline works inside your existing VS Code installation.

Strengths

• Open source: Full transparency, community-driven development
• Provider agnostic: Works with Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, OpenRouter, Ollama, and more
• Browser integration: Can open and interact with web pages for testing
• MCP support: First-class Model Context Protocol integration for external tools
• Approval workflow: Review and approve every action before execution
• No subscription: Pay only for API usage

Weaknesses

• No inline autocomplete (agent-only interaction model)
• Requires managing your own API keys and costs
• Can be expensive with heavy usage of premium models
• Setup requires more technical knowledge

Best For

Developers who want full control over their AI tooling, prefer open source, and are comfortable managing API keys and costs directly.

Pricing

Component	Cost
Extension	Free
API usage	Varies by provider ($3-15/M tokens for Claude)
Typical session	$0.10-2.00 depending on task complexity

GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is the original AI coding assistant and remains the most widely adopted. It works across multiple IDEs and integrates tightly with the GitHub ecosystem.

Strengths

• Multi-IDE support: VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, Visual Studio, Xcode
• GitHub integration: Seamless PR reviews, issue references, and Actions integration
• Copilot Workspace: Plan and implement features from GitHub issues
• Enterprise features: Organizational policies, IP indemnity, audit logs
• Reliable autocomplete: Battle-tested inline completions

Weaknesses

• Limited model choice (uses OpenAI models primarily)
• Agent mode is less capable than Cursor or Cline for complex tasks
• No MCP support for custom tool integrations
• Cannot use Claude or other non-OpenAI models in most cases

Best For

Teams already invested in the GitHub ecosystem who want a reliable, well-supported AI assistant that works across multiple IDEs.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Includes
Free	$0/mo	Limited completions, limited chat
Individual	$10/mo	Unlimited completions, chat, agent mode
Business	$19/mo/seat	Organization policies, IP indemnity
Enterprise	$39/mo/seat	Custom models, advanced admin

Feature Deep Dive

Agentic Coding

All four tools now support agentic coding, but the implementations differ significantly:

Task: "Add user authentication to this Express app with JWT tokens"

Windsurf Cascade: Plans 5 steps, creates middleware, route handlers,
                  and test files. Runs tests automatically.

Cursor Agent:     Creates a plan in Composer, implements across files,
                  can run terminal commands. Asks for confirmation.

Cline:            Proposes a plan, asks approval at each step. Creates
                  files, installs packages, can test in browser.

Copilot Agent:    Generates code in chat, can apply to files.
                  Less autonomous than the others.

Context Management

Tool	Max Context	Context Sources
Windsurf	~120K tokens	Open files, codebase indexing
Cursor	~120K tokens	Open files, codebase indexing, docs, web
Cline	Model-dependent	Files, folders, URLs, images, MCP servers
Copilot	~64K tokens	Open files, workspace indexing

Model Support

Model	Windsurf	Cursor	Cline	Copilot
Claude Opus 4	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Claude Sonnet 4	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
GPT-5	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Gemini 2.5 Pro	No	Yes	Yes	No
Gemini 3 Pro	No	Yes	Yes	No
DeepSeek V3	No	Yes	Yes	No
Local (Ollama)	No	No	Yes	No

Real-World Performance

Based on common development tasks, here is how each tool performs in practice:

Task	Windsurf	Cursor	Cline	Copilot
Inline autocomplete	Fast	Fast	N/A	Fast
Simple refactor	Good	Excellent	Good	Good
Multi-file feature	Good	Excellent	Excellent	Average
Bug debugging	Good	Good	Excellent	Average
Test generation	Good	Good	Good	Good
Documentation	Average	Good	Good	Good

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose Windsurf if you want a polished, affordable AI-first IDE with strong agentic features and minimal setup.

Choose Cursor if you want the most powerful and flexible AI coding tool with the widest model selection and are willing to pay $20/month.

Choose Cline if you value open source, want full provider flexibility, prefer to pay per usage instead of a subscription, or need browser integration and MCP support.

Choose GitHub Copilot if you work across multiple IDEs, are deeply integrated with GitHub, or need enterprise features like IP indemnity.

Decision Flowchart

Do you need multi-IDE support?
  Yes -> GitHub Copilot
  No  -> Do you prefer open source?
           Yes -> Cline
           No  -> Is budget a priority?
                    Yes -> Windsurf ($15/mo)
                    No  -> Cursor ($20/mo)

Conclusion

There is no single best AI coding tool in 2026. The right choice depends on your workflow, budget, and priorities. Many developers use a combination: for example, Cursor for daily coding with Cline for tasks that need browser integration or MCP tools.

If your AI-powered development workflow includes media generation tasks like creating images, videos, or audio, Hypereal AI offers affordable APIs that integrate cleanly into any development environment. Whether you are building a product that needs AI-generated media or just experimenting, it is worth checking out.